Purification of phlorotannins from Macrocystis pyrifera using macroporous resins

Abstract

Phlorotannins are secondary metabolites produced by brown seaweed, which are known for their nutraceutical and pharmacological properties. The aim of this work was to determine the type of macroporous resin and the conditions of operation that improve the purification of phlorotannins extracted from brown seaweed, Macrocystis pyrifera. For the purification of phlorotannins, six resins (HP-20, SP-850, XAD-7, XAD-16N, XAD-4 and XAD-2) were assessed. The kinetic adsorption allowed determination of an average adsorption time for the resins of 9 h. The highest level of purification of phlorotannins was obtained with XAD-16N, 42%, with an adsorption capacity of 183 ± 18 mg PGE/g resin, and a desorption ratio of 38.2 ± 7.7%. According to the adsorption isotherm the best temperature of operation was 25 °C, and the model that best described the adsorption properties was the Freundlich model. The purification of phlorotannins might expand their use as a bioactive substance in the food, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries.